Watercolor and ink on wove cardstock, with gilded paper glued over the bottom and two side edges

Gift of Juli Grainger

Acc. No. 2008.305.2

A scrolled, lettererd piece of paper is depicted centered among sprays of assorted blue, white, and pink flowers with green foliage.

Artist unidentified.

The 1 7/8-inch splayed frame of [bird's eye maple?] may be original and has a brass hanging ring affixed to the back of the top frame member in the center.

Label:Julia Ann Wilmore Fowler's certificate notes her presence at roll call "One Hundred and Twenty times," which merited "approbation/in the highest degree" and ranked her in the "first grade" for punctuality. (Fowler slipped a bit five and a half months later, when another certificate shows she put in an appearance only "one hundred and ten times," garnering a "second grade" for punctuality.) Both forms of recognition were awarded at the Female Seminary in Georgetown (now part of Washington, D. C.).
The name L. S. English appears at the bottom as principal, not as artist. Lydia Scudder English (1802-1865/1866) founded the Female Seminary in Georgetown in 1826 and served as its principal for many years. She continued to live at the school after relinguishing her post as principal a few years before the school closed in 1861.

The name L. S. English appears at the bottom as principal, not likely as artist. Lydia Scudder English (1802-1865/1866) founded the Female Seminary in Georgetown in 1826 and served as its principal for many years. She continued to live at the school after relinguishing her post as principal a few years before the school closed in 1861.

Inscription(s):In brown ink, rather faded, in an upright script on the front within the pictorial composition is: "Female Seminary Georgetown DC/February 11th 1848./This certifies, that/Miss Julia Ann Wilmore Fowler,/during the Term ending this day,/has been present at the Calling/of the Roll, one Hundred and Twen-/ty times, thereby meriting approba/tion in the highest degree and/ranking in the First Grade for/Punctuality./L. S. English/Principal".